Exclusive by business editor Trevor Sturgess

All 700 employees of building materials firm Brett's have been asked to take a pay cut or face job losses.

The family-owned Brett Group, based in Canterbury and with depots across the country, is also planning to suspend payments into its pension scheme for 18 months.

The cement, aggregates, landscaping materials and construction business, which celebrates its centenary this year, hopes employees will agree a pay cut of between three and five per cent.

Directors aim to set an example by taking a 10 per cent salary reduction.

The pay and pension proposals are designed to slash the firm’s employment costs by £2 million.

Brett has already shed 230 jobs in the past year and if employees reject the latest plan, a further 50 jobs could go.

The company blames a severe downturn in the construction industry for the proposals which were presented to staff on Monday.

Mr Brett, the fourth generation of his family to lead the business, said: "We are facing unprecedented reductions in our volumes. We’ve come to a critical time where we need to reduce our employment costs further."

Full story in this week's Gazette.